


Marry Me?

by WaxRhapsodic



Category: X-Men (Movies), X-Men (Movieverse), X-Men - All Media Types, X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014) - Fandom, X-Men: First Class (2011) - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Fake Marriage, Fake/Pretend Relationship, First Kiss, First Time, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, Happy Ending, M/M, Marriage of Convenience, Mentions of Cancer, Requited Love, Sharing a Bed, Sleepy Cuddles, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-23
Updated: 2016-03-30
Packaged: 2018-05-28 13:05:53
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 22,068
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6330385
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WaxRhapsodic/pseuds/WaxRhapsodic
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Erik needs to get married, ASAP, but doesn't have the funds or the fiancée necessary to do so. However his roommate and best friend Charles comes up with a plan to apply for a wedding loan-they'll simply have to marry each other!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is a not for profit fan work, I do not own any of the characters or properties mentioned herein.

Erik stared blankly at the link his roommate had sent him. Wedding loans, up to $10,000. Only pay it back when you divorce. _If_ Erik mentally corrected himself. _If_ you divorce, which would be when for him, and he knew that.

But the offer was too good to pass up. Plus Charles had suggested it, albeit in a roundabout way, but they could discuss the small details later, when he got home.

Erik glanced up as the bus called his stop and collected his things to make his way out, mind filled with possibilities.

~~

“So, what do you think?” Charles blurted out, first thing as he stepped in the door to find Erik stress cleaning their already neat home.

The taller man settled back on his heels from where he’d been kneeling to scrub the baseboards with what appeared to be a used dryer sheet. He waved away Charles’ questioning look, the tiny Brit never understood the finer points of deep cleaning.

“I think it has…promise. The link you mean?” he asked, belatedly realizing that Charles could be talking about any number of things. He may have even forgotten the link he’d sent.

That had been first thing this morning and they had exchanged several more texts throughout the day. Though about inconsequential matters like Charles telling him he’d be home late, and Erik pretending not to worry that the other man was going out on a date. Then Charles offered to pick up more detergent from the store and Erik forbade him from doing any shopping alone.

That never ended well. Like the time Erik was sick and Charles decided to make a grocery run on his own and came home with five pineapples, a jar of fig butter, two avocadoes and seven limes and insisted he could make soup out of it.

Thank goodness Edie had shown up just in time with _actual soup_ because lord knew Erik was a sucker for Charles and would have made a valiant effort at eating whatever concoction he managed to create from those ingredients. As sick as Erik had been, that sludge probably would have finished him off.

“Really?” Charles beamed, pulling Erik back from his idle musing with the force of his charm.

“What? Oh, yes, the wedding loan, I have to admit it’s kind of perfect,” he said distracted by the sight of Charles stripping off his outerwear and inadvertently revealing his tight abs and chest. There was no reason for a research scientist to be so well built. He thought grudgingly.

“I know! And we won’t have to pay it back until we get a divorce! And I’ll be able to cover the loan no problem by then!” he cheered happily.

“I won’t let you do that, Charles,” Erik started stiffly, stung by the _until_ , when he realized what Charles had just said. “So wait, you _were_ offering…”

“Yes, of course I was, I know how much this means to Edie, and how much that means to you. What are friends for?” he asked, blue eyes shining with sincerity.

“Helping each other commit fraud?” Erik asked dryly as he stood to make his way to the kitchen to take the casserole out of the oven.

“Mmmm, something smells heavenly!” Charles ignored the quip as he quickly hung up his coat and scarf and tucked his shoes away on the rack by the door. Erik smiled at the neatness that he’d had to instill in Charles to make their living together bearable. Well. More bearable.

As bearable as living with the love of your life could be when they didn’t return the sentiment.

“I’m plating up so don’t take too long!” Erik called after him, feeling affectionate and domestic in equal measure.

Charles returned, dressed in ripped jeans and one of Erik’s old t-shirts that he’d appropriated from the laundry room soon after they moved in together.

Erik finished setting the table as Charles slumped down into his customary seat with a telling weariness that spoke of a long day in the lab.

“Everything alright?” he asked as he placed a plate in front of Charles and took his own place at the table.

“Hmm? Oh, yes my friend. Nothing for you to concern yourself with, just the usual family stuff.”

Erik gave a sympathetic grimace, knowing how much Charles hated to be reminded of the Xavier Marco clan from which he hailed.

“Hey don’t make that face, they’ll soon be your in laws, mister,” Charles gave a half hearted smile that turned real as he took his first bite of cheesy chicken casserole. “I think I’m getting the better end of this deal if I get to eat like this every night. You’ll be a tough act to follow,” he laughed and eagerly  tucked into his meal.

Erik hid his flinch at those words as best he could and hoped that Charles was too focused on his meal to notice the pained expression in his eyes. He cleared his throat, “Yes, well you should be used to it by now; it’s been nearly two years.”

“Every time you cook for me is special,” Charles said softly with a small smile gracing his full, red lips.

Erik quickly looked away from that gaze, as ever fearing that the love in his eyes would give him away. The moment turned awkward as Erik steadfastly refused to look up from his plate and pretended not to notice Charles’ intense regard.

“So, about this marriage. The website said there would be an interview process and a few forms to submit before we get clearance. I think we should start on the forms tonight and perhaps put in a note that we are in a bit of a hurry,” Charles said, as an obvious subject change. Though not the best he could have chosen he decided as Erik dropped his fork and rested his face in his hands, taking in a shuddering breath. “I’m sorry, Erik, I shouldn’t have-”

“No, no, you’re right. She doesn’t have much time left, and no amount of pretending will change that,” the taller man said gruffly, “We can get started as soon as you clear up the kitchen.”

They exchanged a tense smile and finished their meal in uncustomary silence.

~~

Charles had gotten better at doing dishes since Erik’s infamous fit over the cleanliness of tea cups not two days after moving in.

He’d allowed the handsome red head to show him how he liked the chores to be completed simply because he’d have been willing to listen to Erik read the entire German dictionary to him at that point.

It had been infatuation at first sight for Charles, who knew the other man was well out of his league even before he’d seen him dressed in just a towel making his way from the bathroom one day when he’d forgotten to take his clothes in with him.

Knowing that his handsome roommate had the body of an Adonis had certainly not helped his crush or his self esteem. It had helped his fitness regimen for what it was worth. Which wasn’t much in his personal opinion.

But Erik had never put him down, and he even suspected he’d caught the other man looking once or twice. But that was likely wishful thinking.

Charles took his time with the dishes and tried to calm his racing heart as best he could. Constantly reminding himself that this wasn’t going to be a real marriage hurt. How much worse would it be to actually go through with it?

But he couldn’t back out now. Not with this being Erik’s final gift to Edie, not when he’d been the one to bring it up. And oh how it had hurt that Erik had considered the prospect but not in relation to Charles! Who else did he have in mind?

“All set?” Charles jumped at the question, whirling to face Erik with a startled gasp. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you,” he said apologetically.

“It’s no problem my friend, I was just lost in thought. I’m all done here,” he said nervously licking his lips. A habit he couldn’t seem to break. Erik’s gaze flicked to his mouth, his jaw tightened for a moment before he turned back to the living room without further comment.

Charles sighed and followed him, wondering what had upset his roommate this time.

~~

They worked together on the forms in companionable silence, each trying to hide the pleasure he took in knowing so much about the other and being so well known in return.

“When should we say we fell in love?” Erik asked as they approached the end of the seemingly endless questionnaire. Not wanting to give himself away with an honest answer of ‘about two hours and twenty minutes after we met’.

Charles chewed his lower lip absently, drawing Erik’s full attention in a heartbeat.

“Hmm, we want them to give us the full amount and they said they want couples to stay together so we’ll say about a year. Friends first, we were saving for a wedding when we got your moms diagnosis and are now in a rush.”

“Sounds good, besides, we don’t need the full ten grand, we can throw a decent gig with less,” Erik said thoughtfully.

Charles fidgeted nervously for a telling length of time, “Alright, what is it?” Erik finally asked when it seemed that the smaller man would never work up the courage to say what was on his mind.

“What do you want to tell people? Our friends? Your mom?” he finally blurted out, still staring at his laptop screen intently.

The question gave Erik pause. He actually hadn’t considered that angle. He only knew that he wanted to do this for his mother. He seriously suspected she was only holding on because she didn’t want him to be alone once she was gone.

 She would need to believe it was true and he couldn’t risk one of their friends having a slip of the tongue around her that would give them away. He only hoped Charles was willing to play the long game.

“Maybe we could tell them the same thing, that we have been planning this but want my mother to be there. I’m sure some of them already think we’re together anyway,” he said after a thoughtful pause. “If you’d be comfortable with that?”

“Yes!” Charles blurted almost as soon as he was done speaking, his face flushing bright red in embarrassment at his own eagerness. “I mean, that sounds about right. We do want this to be a real celebration. Besides, this may be the only wedding I ever have. Better make the best of it,” he said weakly.

Erik frowned at that, as usual Charles’ deep sincere belief that he was unlovable grated on him. Perhaps he could use this as an excuse to treat Charles the way he deserved to be treated. He tucked that idea away for further contemplation at a later time.

They submitted the forms. Charles having added an end note about the importance of haste in their decision.

“Now we wait,” Erik said grimly, staring at the screen as though he could make an email appear approving their request.

“Or,” Charles suggested, “We could tell Edie. I think she’d want to know the news. It will seem strange if we suddenly tell her we’re having a wedding when we’ve never even told her we’re dating.”

Erik gave him a soft look at that and wrapped an arm around his shoulders to pull him close for a moment, “Yes, you’re right. She’s always wanted us to be together, you know. She’ll be over the moon.”

Charles blushed and shamelessly used Erik’s impromptu embrace to initiate cuddling, “So do you want to call her or…”

“Hmm no, I think I’ll drop in on her tomorrow and surprise her with the news.”

“Should I be there?” he asked nervously, not wanting to intrude where he wasn’t wanted.

Instead he got one of Erik’s rare, true smiles causing his heart to flip, “I’d love that, she’s been asking after you so it’ll be a double surprise.”

He rested there, lost in thought until he realized that Charles had fallen asleep draped across his chest. There were worse ways to spend an evening he thought, settling back to watch the hours pass above the city.

~~

Edie was listless. And exhausted. She was nearing the end of her third round of Chemo and it still wasn’t working. She’d known it wouldn’t. She’d known before the doctor ever said a word that she was dying. She knew in her bones. But that didn’t mean she was willing to give up without a fight.

She was all Erik had, and she worried about him as only a mother can worry about her only son. If- _when_ she passed, she didn’t know what would come of him. So she tried everything, even a remedy that was likely killing her faster than the cancer would.

She just wanted to know he would be alright and she’d be able to rest in peace. If only he and that sweet Charles…

She fell into a light doze only to wake to a soft knock at her door, It was her favorite nurse, Angel with a big smile for her, “Hello dear,” she said groggily.

“Hello Miss Edie, I’m sorry to wake you, but you have some visitors, she said brightly, moving to help Edie sit up and re wrap her head scarf into a cute tuck.

“Oh it must be my boy, but it isn’t his usual day,” she frowned, knowing that Erik kept busy to be able to afford to keep her in the care home in the first place. “Is something wrong?” she asked anxiously.

“Didn’t seem to be, maybe he just wanted to see you. Try not to get too worked up,” Angel soothed tucking a blanket tightly around Edie’s thin legs and opening the blinds to let the sun in now that Edie was awake and the rays wouldn’t disturb her rest.

“There you go, pretty as a rainbow, I’ll go tell them they can come on in?”

Edie smiled at the compliment, and chose to accept the lie with grace, “Yes please,” she said, only then noticing that Angel had mentioned visitors plural. Now she really wondered what was going on.

~~

Erik stepped into view just a few moments later; he must have been chomping at the bit to come in, she smiled. The sight of him always brightened her day. The pictures of him at various ages decorating her room could attest to that.

“Hello mama,” he stepped in the door with a nervous smile, holding a fresh bunch of flowers in one hand and pulling Charles along with the other.

“Oh! Two visitors it must be my lucky day to be visited by two such handsome young men, I’ll be the envy of the floor!” she beamed as Erik stepped forwards to kiss her cheek before Charles took his turn.

“Hello, Edie, you’re looking well,” he said giving her an approving look, “Haven’t lost much more weight this time,” he said gently.

“Why thank you Charles, you’re too kind. But I’m sure you’re on your way somewhere, so I won’t keep you.” They exchanged a confused glance then looked back at her.

“What do you mean mama? We only came to see you,” Erik said with a small frown, making her feel ungrateful for questioning their motives.

“Oh, it’s just that you’re both dressed so well, you don’t need to wear your Sunday best to visit your old mama,” she explained. And it was true, they both looked exceptionally handsome in well fitted suits and shined shoes. Charles had even brushed his hair, she noted.

Erik opened his mouth, likely to chide her for calling herself old when Charles cut in, “Oh but we do! Because this is a special occasion and we want you to be the first to know!” he smiled brightly.

“Oh! What is it? You know I love surprises!” she leaned forwards, eager for their news and touched that they’d taken such care with their appearance for her sake.

Erik leaned in and took her hands in his tightly, “mama, Charles and I are going to be married,” he said softly.

For a moment she wondered if she’d misheard him, but then Charles squeezed Erik’s shoulder and nodded his agreement. They both looked so nervous waiting for her reaction; she didn’t keep them in suspense.

“That’s wonderful news boys! But when did you decide this? How long has this been going on?” she demanded happily squeezing them tightly as they took turns getting their congratulatory hugs.

“Well, we’ve sort of been together for a while but just, privately,” Erik said with a blush, “and well, we want to get married but…” he cut off sharply and blinked tears out of his eyes.

“We want you to be there, Edie, so we want to do it sooner than we planned,” Charles finished softly, squeezing Erik’s hand in solidarity.

Her heart sank and she wondered if they’d held off telling her in the hopes that this round of chemo would heal her and they could wed in their own time.

“But that’s wonderful boys, I’m so glad to be the first to know such wonderful news! I’ll be there, Erik with bells on, I promise,” she said, wondering how much longer she could hold on for her darling boy. Rushing his relationship so she could be present on his big day, he was so selfless and kind.

And she could rest easy knowing he had Charles to lean on.

She wasn’t worried about him and Charles, nor was she surprised by their news. She’d known they were right for each other on her first visit to Erik’s new apartment.  She’d just been waiting for them to figure it out.

On that front, “So how did this all happen? Who asked who out? Who proposed?” She asked, leaning back tiredly, the excitement of the past few minutes having entirely drained her small cache of energy.

“I’ll tell you sometime mama, on my next visit, why don’t you rest now?” Erik said gently, tenderly helping her lie down fully.

She must look awful if he was directly contradicting her wishes, she glanced at the pinched look on Charles’ face. Yes, she must look like death warmed over and they were both too nice to say.

“Oh, alright, but I do want to hear the story,” she said plaintively.

“And you will, you already had your treatment for the week right?”

“Yes,” she croaked weakly, throat pressingly dry. Erik went to fill her pitcher and get her a small cup while Charles took his place at her side and gently held both her hands in his.

“Why don’t I come pick you up one day and you can come back to ours for dinner? We can tell you all about it. When do you feel strongest?” he asked firmly as she attempted to assure he she was perfectly fine being visited, though she desperately wanted to visit their home and have a normal evening. The kind they used to have before she fell ill.

“Sundays,” she finally admitted, “I scheduled it that way, so I look my best when Erik usually visits.”

Charles’ eyes swam with tears at her words, “You’re such a good mother, Edie. I hope you know that.” He pressed a sweet kiss to her knuckles and resettled her blanket so she’d be warm.

“Throwing me over for my mother?” Erik asked in an attempt at levity as he returned to the room with fresh water and a bendy straw so she wouldn’t have to sit up to drink.

“Not yet,” Charles sniffled, “But I did invite Edie for dinner Sunday but only if she gets her rest before then,” he said sternly. Well as sternly as a baby faced twenty something could.

Edie gratefully drank from the straw Erik held to her lips, by now struggling against her lethargy to even hold her eyes open.

“Sounds good! I’ll make your favorite, mama. And we’ll tell you everything then, promise,” Erik said almost desperately.

“Alright boys, I look forwards too it. Thank you for coming to tell me,” she said, finally allowing her eyes to slip closed against the pressing headache growing behind her eyes.

She heard a frantic whispered conversation then Angel was there checking her vitals and taking her temperature.

Oh, her boys must have called her in a panic, she longed to soothe them, but it was too much effort to speak.

“Alright, Miss Edie, what did I tell you about getting worked up? Now, you’ll have to sleep ‘till dinner and miss your stories. If you’re lucky Miss Christy _might_ tell you what happened,” she said cheerily.

“I’m afraid that was our fault,” Charles said worriedly, “We came with good news, but…”

“Oh don’t worry guys, she’ll be fine. Good news will help get her through the tough times,” Angel assured them, “but she does need to rest now.”

“Of course, of course, see you Sunday Edie,” Charles dropped a kiss on her brow and moved to the door to wait for his fiancée.

Erik paused for a moment, simply looking at her lying so still and small on the bed, “Sleep well mama, see you soon,” he pressed a kiss to her papery soft cheek before joining Charles at the door.

Edie managed to crack her eyes open as Angel pulled the curtains once more, seeing them leave the room hand in hand before her eyes slid shut again.

“My son is getting married,” she whispered softly, almost not believing it was true.

“That _is_ good news, Miss Edie, it was sweet of them to come just to tell you that,” Angel adjusted her IV drip and made sure she was comfortable and that the call button was in reach before leaving her alone to rest.

She slid into sleep without knowing and dreamt of being young and healthy, a new bride, waiting for Jakob to get home, feeling Erik stir in her womb while she rolled the crust for a pie. Perfectly happy, a moment in time.

~~

“Thank you for this,” Erik began haltingly as they made their way to the car, but Charles held up a hand to stop his broken chatter.

“Don’t Erik, please. You’d do the same for me, I know you would. It’s no imposition. Besides, I _love_ Edie.” _I love you too_ , he didn’t say. Though he suspected it was written all over his face.

Erik gave him a searching look then took a deep breath and gave a sharp nod, “alright then, we won’t speak of it again.”

Charles smiled in relief; he didn’t think he could handle Erik’s gratitude when this still managed to feel like such a selfish decision.

Erik and Edie were the archetypal loving family he’d always wanted and he’d often pretended to himself that they were properly his. Now they would be, at least for a while.

He settled in to drive them home, each having cut out of work early to make the visit. He didn’t bother making conversation as Erik seemed lost in thought, and no wonder with how poorly Edie had looked. Charles frowned at the recollection. He hoped the agency came through with a decision soon.

Erik sat stiffly next to Charles in the car, alternately relieved that their plan had worked and devastated to see his once vibrant mother so decimated by disease that she could barely carry on a conversation. He could only hope that they were approved for the loan, and quickly.

There was no use denying that time was of the essence.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys get some good news, Edie comes to visit, relationship development occurs!

The next few days passed quickly and uneventfully, both men falling back into their normal routine with an ease borne of long practice.

Erik cooked, cleaned, and paid the utilities while Charles paid the rent and groceries. It was an unequal arrangement and not one that Erik would have willingly entered but Charles wouldn’t hear of him moving out to live in a shady neighborhood just to be able to afford Edie’s medical costs.

Well, Charles wouldn’t hear of Erik moving out for any reason whatsoever, but Erik didn’t need to know that.

Now he would have an even better excuse, what kind of man would he be if he put his husband out on the street? He smiled to himself at the thought, his husband.

Charles Lehnsherr, Erik Xavier, Charles and Erik Lehnsherr-Xavier, Xavier-Lehnsherr, Erik and Charles.

An incoming message alert from his phone broke his musing, he should have been studying slides anyway he thought guiltily, glancing around the lab to see if anyone noticed his preoccupation but was relieved to see everyone focused on their assigned tasks.

He was young to be the head lab tech and didn’t want to ruin his professional reputation by being perceived as an airhead.

His phone chimed again and he decided he may as well take a break, distracted as he was; no work was getting done anyway. He informed Hank, his next in command that he was stepping out for his fifteen, and received an absent nod in response.

Charles made his way out of the lab to see that the first message was an email to his private account and the second was a text from Erik.

He eagerly bypassed the email and opened the text to see a thumbs up emoticon followed by three exclamation points.

He frowned, had Erik been body snatched? He hated emoticons. Well, he hated using them but he’d never complained about Charles’ admittedly excessive use.

Maybe the other man was simply busy at work and didn’t have time to write out a full text, but what was he so excited about in the first place?

Charles went to read the email while mentally weighing and rejecting reasons for Erik’s uncustomary behavior. Then he saw it from LaLove.com, they were approved for an interview, they just needed to set up a date and time.

“Yes!” he crowed fist pumping the air and laughing with delight, his finger was on the call button before he registered what he was doing. Before he could panic about getting the other man in trouble for using his phone during work hours, Erik was breathlessly answering the phone, a smile in his voice that Charles could practically feel.

“Charles! It worked, we did it!”

“Yes I know! I can’t believe we got such a quick response! This is the best-“

“Best news EVER!”

“-Amazing oh! Edie is going to be so-“

“I’m so-“

“Can’t wait to tell her!”

“-tell everyone!”

Their garbled conversation dissolved into happy laughter as they chattered over each other elatedly, “Oh god Charles, I’ve got to go or we’ll celebrate this day with me losing my job,” Erik chuckled.

“I’m sorry to bother you, I didn’t mean to call, I just-” _wanted to hear your voice._ He bit off before he said something he couldn’t take back.

“I know Charles; you saw my reaction I’m sure!”

“Yes, I thought you’d been body snatched,” Charles admitted happily, mind running ahead a mile a minute. “I’ll call them as soon as I get off with you and set something up for next week if possible. I’ll text to let you know.”

“Thanks Charles, you’re the best,” Erik sighed before they said their goodbyes and disconnected the call. He glanced at the clock, his fifteen was almost up, but he wouldn’t be able to get any work done without setting up the appointment, not knowing that Erik was waiting on the news.

Besides, there had to be some upsides to being the boss. He eagerly dialed the number at the bottom of the email. The plan was in motion.

~~

That night they both made it home in record time, it helped that it was Friday and all their coworkers were eager to leave as well so neither of them was held back for overtime over what Erik termed “rank stupidity.”

“Hello husband-to-be!” Charles sang as he stepped in the door, still walking on sunshine.

“Hello to you too,” Erik grinned, letting the smaller man pull him in for an enthusiastic embrace, “at least take your coat off! You’re freezing me!” he pushed him off playfully and pretended not to watch as Charles did just that before lunging at him again.

Erik was prepared for this, happy Charles was always excessively tactile, not that you’d hear any complaints from him. He caught the short brunette and lifted him off his feet in a whirl, making him throw back his head and laugh. Erik’s heart raced as his favorite sound filled their home.

He almost felt guilty for how happy he’d been since he and Charles had hatched this scheme. But he knew his mother wanted him to be happy, not miserable worrying over her health so he pushed the doldrums away and planted a daring kiss to Charles’ temple, reveling in the blush it raised.

“So what’s on deck for tonight?”

“I was thinking sushi! It’s a special occasion and we haven’t had it in ages, what do you say?”

Erik hesitated; cooking was one of the few ways he actually contributed to their household so he felt odd anytime Charles purchased readymade meals.

His silence drew Charles’ attention, “Oh don’t be like that, I swear I’ll buy you a sushi kit if you want but please, let me treat you tonight. Besides we need to get our stories straight for your mom and our interview,” he wheedled adorably.

Erik sighed his agreement, helpless as ever in the face of Charles’ wishes.

They placed their order and settled in with a bottle of white wine to wait for the delivery while plotting the next stage of their plan.

“Okay, so we’ve been dating for a year, been living together for eighteen months,” Charles began.

“Yes, it’ll be easier to remember if we keep it as close to the truth as possible,” Erik theorized.

“That’s true,” Charles agreed amiably, “so we’re in love and we’re in a stable, committed relationship.”

“Yes.”

“Who proposed?” Charles asked shyly, living vicariously through their fantasy life.

“I did,” Erik stated like it was the most obvious answer in the world.

“You did?” he asked, secretly delighted at the thought.

“Would you?” Erik asked skeptically.

“…alright no, I don’t think I could work up the nerve,” he admitted after trying to picture a scenario where he had the courage to lay his love on the line.

“We can say that you found out about the loan and brought it to my attention,” Erik conceded.

“Well that _is_ what happened so I guess that’s fair,” Charles agreed grudgingly.

“What’s our anniversary?” Erik asked suddenly.

Charles hummed thoughtfully, “…let’s say about a year ago this time so, February 12?”

“What we couldn’t wait until Valentine’s Day?” Erik joked.

“Oh! That’s when you proposed!” Charles clapped in excitement as the idea struck.

“So I’m sappy like that?” he laughed, pleased at the rosy flush that filled the smaller mans cheeks.

“ _Sentimental_ like that, you made a whole speech and it was lovely. We had dinner and wine and it was perfect!” he insisted.

Erik threw up his hands in surrender, “Alright that sounds good. So we’ve been engaged about two weeks then?”

“Yes, we’ve told your mom and we’ll tell our friends this coming week before the interview.”

“And your family?” Erik asked gently.

Charles cast a thoughtful frown into the depths of his wine glass, “the truth, we’re estranged. That’s why we need the loan instead of using my family fortune.”

“Do we tell them about the trust?”

“Um, no not unless they ask directly. I don’t think it would hurt our chances but I don’t want to risk it.”

“Sounds good,” Erik said softly, taking a slow drink from his cup simply to have something to do with his hands and mouth to stop himself reaching for Charles who sat facing him on the other end of the couch, knees pulled up protectively, looking small and alone.

He would later blame it on the wine, but the simple truth was that he couldn’t sit idly by and watch Charles stew in misery. He reached out and wrapped his hand around one of the smaller mans ankles, catching his wide blue eyes in a warm gaze.

“It’s their loss, Charles. Anyone would be lucky to have you,” he said quietly, feeling a soft blush suffuse his face at the emotion hidden in the statement.

“Do you really think so?” Charles asked, doubt and uncertainly clear in his voice.

“Yes. Really, I’m just lucky no one else in this whole city has the eyes to see how great you are,” he said as sincerely as possible. If he wasn’t allowed to thank Charles and wasn’t able to pay him, he at least owed the man his honesty.

“Thank you, Erik. You can’t know what that means to me,” Charles gave him a watery smile, closing his sturdy hand over Erik’s where it remained clasped around his ankle.

Erik didn’t doubt that, he couldn’t imagine facing a life of derision and rejection from the people who were supposed to love him unconditionally.

He gave in to the urge to set their glasses aside and pull his little scientist close. Erik knew the other man loved to cuddle, was practically touch starved though he never said a word about it and he indulged him whenever he could get away with it.

They stayed curled together until their food arrived, talking softy to even out the rough edges of their story.

To Erik’s surprise, after Charles had left to collect their meal and pay the delivery man, he returned to the circle of Erik’s embrace almost immediately, with the clear expectation of rejection present in his manner.

Instead Erik simply took it in stride, as though Charles sat practically in his lap for dinner every day. He’d love it if this was their everyday. And clearly his roommate wasn’t as opposed to the idea as Erik had feared.

They shared their meal, Charles even daring to feed Erik a bite or two from his own plate, blushing all the while. It was selfish, he knew, to bind Erik to him through economic need and now marriage for however long it lasted. But he decided, watching Erik refill their glasses with a contented smile etched on his handsome face, there were worse things than being selfish every once and again.

~~

They spent the next day preparing for Edie’s visit. Cleaning their already clean home and shopping for the ingredients for chicken piccata in addition to their usual weekly grocery run. Charles was only permitted to join Erik at the store if he promised to simply push the cart without adding any of his own purchases to the basket. He agreed with an eye roll as Erik steered them to the grocery store that the taller man insisted had the best produce section in town.

He managed to keep his word until a few feet into the store when he saw a display of “Cookie Butter! What do you think that is?” he asked, stopping near the display.

“I know what it _isn’t_ , “Erik said dryly, taking the jar from Charles hand and setting it back on the shelf, “on the list.”

“But Erik,” he began with a pout.

“No buts or you’ll have to wait in the car,” he said absently perusing his list to make a mental map of the store so they wouldn’t have to loop back for anything.

“Can we add it to the list for next time?” Charles asked insistently, still looking longingly at the display. Erik sighed and pretended more irritation than he actually felt.

“I’ll consider it, but only if you don’t pull another stunt like last time.”

“That wasn’t a stunt! She couldn’t find her debit card, and she only had a few dollars worth of groceries, I was just being a Good Samaritan,” he protested lightly.

“You were being the victim of a seasoned con artist, she found a working card soon enough once I stepped in,” Erik reminded him with a frown at the memory of the incident.

Charles laughed playfully, leaning over the bar of the cart like a child as they made their way through the produce section, “I think the look on your face made the machine think twice about rejecting the card.”

Erik shrugged at that and turned his attention to picking out root vegetables for the meal plan he’d drawn up for the coming week.

By the time he’d made his selections, Charles had wandered over to the bread wall and was holding a flatbread the size of his torso with a speculative glint in his eye.

Erik rolled his eyes and went to distract his roo- _fiancée_ from the endless wonders of the grocery store.

By the time they made it to the readymade section of the store, Charles had been given four free samples and struck up a conversation with one of the kids stocking the shelves. Erik was happy to let him chat and explore his way through the store since it cut down on the interacting Erik was expected to do.

It had the added benefit of keeping Charles from simply tossing things into the cart without a second glance at the price or ingredients.

‘This is what comes from not having set foot in a store for the first 20 years of your life,’ Erik often thought uncharitably of Charles’ isolated childhood.

“Ready to go, darling?” he asked, looping an arm around Charles’ waist and glaring at the deli employee who’d been overly flirtatious throughout their transaction.

Charles flinched at the unexpected touch, turning to Erik with a look of surprise that faded to pleased acceptance as he leaned into the half embrace.

The kid slung their sliced Colby Jack at Erik with needless force; he caught it with a smirk and turned Charles and the cart towards the checkout lines.

“Goodbye Travis!” Charles called over his shoulder before slapping Erik lightly on one arm, “What was that? He was being perfectly nice until you…oh.”

“Yes, _oh_ Charles, he was hitting on you,” Erik shook his head in amusement at the smaller mans naïveté.

“Come one he’s like 17!” Charles hissed, scandalized that a high school kid had set his sights on him.

“You remember being 17, anything and everything was game, much less handsome older men,” he said playfully as Charles blushed cherry red to match his lips. Erik had to stop himself from claiming said lips in a sweet kiss; he was falling too far into his role as fiancée but he couldn’t bring himself to mind.

They made it out of the store without further incident, and only paid for their own groceries which Erik counted as a win.

They quickly loaded the bags into the trunk and made their way home by early afternoon. Charles went to his room while Erik put the groceries away the way he liked them. Charles had learned to simply put things back where he found them, but he had never been able to make heads or tails of Erik’s cabinet organization system.

He rather suspected the other man switched it up at random intervals to throw him off. It was just the sort of thing Erik would find hilarious, he thought fondly as he fell onto his bed to scream into his pillow like a teenage girl who’d just met her favorite rock star in person.

Erik had hugged him in public, had called him darling, and had cuddled with him _twice_ this week. Charles smiled so hard his cheeks hurt as he cycled through the happy memories of the past few days, refusing to allow thoughts of the future to interfere with his joy.

He only sat up when Erik knocked softly on his door frame and stepped into the room with a small smile and one hand hidden behind his back. “Am I interrupting?”

“No, of course not, what do you need?”  Charles asked attempting to smooth his bed head as best he could without the aid of a mirror.

“To give you this,” Erik smiled and brought his hand around to reveal, “Cookie Butter! But when? How?” Charles made grabby hands at the jar and ripped it open as soon as Erik handed it over.

Erik had the nerve to laugh at that, “You’re many things Charles, but hard to distract isn’t one of them.”

Charles was too happy to have his treat to be properly offended by that. Erik produced a spoon and handed it to the overactive brunette before turning to go.

“Wait Erik! You can’t tell me you don’t want to try it as well!” he dug out a spoonful and held it out to the other man with a conspiratorial grin.

Erik rolled his eyes and stepped in to wrap his hand around Charles’ wrist and slide the spoon into his mouth.

Too late he realized he should simply have taken the spoon from the smaller man. Their eyes met in a moment of stunned awareness as he swallowed the scoop and slid the spoon out of his mouth.

Charles sat frozen, mouth a surprised red O, arm still extended. Erik still clutching his wrist.

“It’s good. Let me-get you another spoon,” Erik stuttered softly  into the tense silence as Charles gently disentangled their hands and settled back onto the bed and simply ate a scoop himself in a distracted manner, unable to meet his eye.

Erik had a moment of silent terror, hoping he hadn’t ruined everything in a moment of impulse. The quiet was killing him. Had he made Charles uncomfortable? That was a boyfriend move an _actual_ boyfriend move. He had given himself away and ruined their friendship in one fell swoop.

Maybe he could fix it; he _had_ to fix it, “Charles I-”

“Thank you for the cookie butter, I love it,” Charles said so quietly that Erik barely heard him over the roar of his pulse thundering in his ears. The smaller man looked up at him through long lashes, delicately licking the cream off the spoon before returning it to the jar for another scoop.

A tense moment passed as Erik tracked the motion like a starving man.

He remained frozen, shock now mingling with arousal. It was best he quit the room, he decided in a moment of sharp clarity, before he damaged them irrevocably.

“I’m glad. Don’t eat too much of it, you’ll spoil dinner. I’ll call you when it’s done,” he all but fled to the kitchen.

Charles watched him go, heart swelling with love as he clutched the kindest gift he’d ever received close to his chest. He could do far worse than Erik as a husband, but he doubted he could do better.

If the kindness of the gesture had astonished him then the raw sensuality of the moment had paralyzed him. He wondered if it was possible to die of happiness.

 Simply put, it was the best day of Charles’ life to that point and he’d have been happy to relive it forever.

~~

The next morning Charles woke late, loving to sleep in on the weekends. The house was silent so Erik was likely still knocked out in his room.

He stretched and smiled, remembering the day before. Could a trip to the grocery store be considered a date he wondered. Perhaps he could ask Moira Monday at work. He smiled to think of her reaction to the question. And the news that he was engaged.

He‘d never had much of a life and now he had so much to tell!

He showered and dressed in nice slacks, a button up, and a cardigan. Erik playfully mocked his style but Charles liked to look as professional as possible. He didn’t usually wear work clothes on the weekend, but he wanted to make the day special for Edie. She was the mother he’d always wanted.

He knocked on Erik’s door on his way out, peeking in to see the other man curled into a tangle of blankets like a surly burrito.

“Erik, it’s almost eleven, I’m going to make a stop then bring Edie back, will you be ready?”

He got a grunt in response.

“Erik!”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m up,” he groaned, running a hand down his face and flipping over onto his back with a jaw cracking yawn. He’d never looked more handsome, but perhaps Charles was biased.

“Alright, we’ll be back soon.”

“Okay, make sure she’s bundled up-you too,‘s cold. I can tell,” he mumbled as he pushed himself into an upright position, sheet sliding down to reveal his perfect physique. Charles blushed and guiltily looked his fill before ducking out the door with a final goodbye.  

~~

He pulled up to the care home around one and quickly made his way inside, Erik was right. It was shaping up to be a chilly March day, he’d have to make sure Edie was nice and warm for their trip.

He signed in at the front desk and was escorted back by a lanky redhead whose name tag read ‘Sean.’

“Thank you Sean, do you know if Edie is feeling up to a trip today?” He asked before they entered her hearing, more than willing to call it off and simply bring Erik here for his customary weekly visit if she wasn’t feeling well.

“She’s _definitely_ up to it man, it’s like all she’s talked about all week. She ate her whole tray last night, said she’d need her energy. She’s a cool lady you know?”

Charles smiled, he loved the staff here, “Yes, she certainly is. Will you help me escort her to the car?”

“Of course man, that’s what I’m here for,” he smiled brightly. “By the way, she can stay overnight if she’s too tired to make the trip back. I hooked her up with a 24 hour charge on a portable IV so she’s set you know? Just give us a call if you’re not bringing her back ‘til tomorrow, else night staff will _freak_ at bed check.”

“I’ll keep that in mind, Sean, thank you,” Charles hid a smile picturing Erik’s reaction to this young man.

“No problem, man. Here we go Miss Edie, your chariot has arrived!” Sean swept into the room with a wheelchair he’d snagged from the hall.

“Charles, just on time as always!” She beamed at him a promising flush to her normally wan complexion.

“Hello Edie, are you all set for our date?” he waggled his eyebrows suggestively sending her into peals of laughter.

“Charles, hush, you’ll scandalize poor Sean,” she swatted his arm as she pulled him in to buss him on the cheek.

“Hey now Miss Edie, you know I’m not here to judge,” Sean replied languidly as he smoothly transferred her from the bed to the chair.

She was dressed warmly in long pants, thick socks and boots with a turtleneck and a windbreaker to top it off. She had a small clutch strapped to her side that Sean explained was the IV he’d mentioned.

He gave Charles a small overnight bag he’d packed “just in case.”

“You are a wonder, Sean.” Charles marveled at the young man’s efficiency.

“That’s what they tell me bruh,” he nodded sagely.

He chuckled at that, “Before we go Edie, I think you’re missing one thing,” Charles said with a bright smile.

“Oh? What?” she asked, looking around for anything she might have overlooked.

“This,” he pulled a small paper wrapped parcel from where he’d tucked it inside his jacket.

“You didn’t have to!” She protested, but couldn’t hide her eagerness to open her gift.

She gasped at the sight once she had the paper open. It was a lovely deep purple woolen shawl that she happily flipped over her scarved head and tucked around her neck and shoulders.

“I love it! How do I look?” She asked them eagerly.

The both assured her she looked beautiful and Sean insisted on taking a picture of them on Charles’ phone before letting them leave for the day.

“ _Memories_ , man,” he’d insisted and Charles couldn’t argue with that.

~~

Edie was happy to relax in the car and listen to Charles chatter about work, his project team, and Erik. Not necessarily in that order. She kept running loving fingers over her shawl, a small smile on her face that filled Charles’ heart with joy each time he caught the edge of it.

They arrived at the building before too long and Charles called Erik down to assist Edie up to the apartment. The hallways weren’t wide enough for a wheelchair and Charles was uncomfortable being her only support while carrying her bag as well.

Erik made the trip down so quickly that Charles suspected him of bypassing the elevator for the stairs.

“Hello darling!” Edie called at the sight of him jogging towards the car.

“Hello mama! You look so pretty, it’s a shame we can’t take you out and show you off,” Erik kissed her hands with a bright smile before gently settling one of her frail arms around his shoulders and easily lifting her into a bridal carry. A brief frown flickered over his face at how light she was, but he quickly hid the expression before she could notice.

“All set?”

“Yes,” she smiled up at him, and then looked around for Charles.

“I’m here Edie, let me just call the elevator,” he stepped past them into the basement lobby and called the elevator in time to step back and open the lobby door to let the Lehnsherr’s in.

They didn’t have long to wait and the elevator only stopped on one floor, the ground level lobby. But the gentleman waiting blanched at Erik’s scowl and stuttered out that he’d take the next one.

“Be nice, Erik,” Edie admonished.

“I didn’t say anything!” he protested his innocence.

“You didn’t need to!” She insisted, Erik gamely ignored Charles stifled laugh at her reprimand.

They soon had her settled and comfortable on the couch, visiting with Charles while Erik went to finish up their meal.

He felt an entirely uncustomary swell of contentment fill him as the sound of their gentle cadence carried over from the other room.

Charles joined him a few moments later, “Don’t worry. I’m just getting her a drink of water while she rests her eyes,” Charles soothed his worries without a second thought.

Erik nodded and went back to his sauce until he felt Charles step in close, causing his heart to race.

“Erik, they packed her an overnight bag. If she stays it’ll be odd to put her on the couch, why would we still have separate rooms?” he asked as softly as possible with anxiety threading his voice.

Erik’s mind went blank for a moment, how could they not have considered this? Of course they hadn’t expected her to stay. And maybe she wouldn’t and they were panicking over nothing.

But she was the whole reason for this scheme, if she had any doubts, it would all have been for nothing.

“We can tell her we’re waiting for marriage?” he suggested half heartedly.

“Neither of us is religious!” Charles hissed, irritated by the nonsense proposition.

“Well fine what do _you_ think?” Erik murmured back, attempting to keep their voices low.

“We move your things into my room while she naps. Change the sheets, set it up like a guest room. You already live like you’re in a hotel; surely it will only take a few minutes?” Charles said in a hushed tone.

Erik tried desperately to think of another way, but nothing sprang to mind. He closed his eyes in defeat, “Alright, take her some water and keep her out of the bedrooms until we eat. She’ll nap after and we can do it then.”

Charles pressed a soothing hand to Erik’s back, “Don’t worry we’ll make this work,” he smiled before fetching Edie her drink and making his way back to the living room.

‘What have I gotten us into?’ he wondered silently as he dredged the chicken in flour and began to sauté it in batches. The voices struck up again in the living room, reminding him of exactly what he’d gotten them into and why.

~~

Once Edie was rested from her trip, they moved to the kitchen to have their meal. Erik didn’t try to hide his pleasure at her vocal delight in her meal and the significant portion of her plate she was able to clear.

“This is nice, we’ll have you over more often if you can manage it,” Erik smiled and reached across the table to squeeze his mother’s hand.

“That would be lovely dear, I’d be happy to help with the wedding plans as well, if you like,” she offered gamely.

“That would be great Edie, we have no idea what we’re doing!” Charles piped in.

Edie laughed softly, “I can’t imagine that you would! More goes into planning one than you would think.” She hesitated a moment, “but, weddings are expensive…”

Charles and Erik exchanged a look, now or never, “About that mama…” Erik began to explain their idea for a loan as Edie paid rapt attention.

“That’s so clever boys! A loan you’ll never have to pay back is a gift! They’d have to be mad not to give you what you’re asking for. Put me down as a character witness if need be,” she assured them brightly. The cost of a wedding combined with their living expenses and her medical bills having been a prime concern in her mind since they told her the news.

They chatted a bit more about venues they’d considered and dates they had in mind before Edie’s eyes began to droop once more.

“Let me set you up on the couch while Charles clears away in here,” Erik offered as Charles began to clear the table and put the leftovers away.

“Alright, but don’t let me sleep too long, I want to spend as much time with you as possible,” She insisted.  Erik agreed amiably and offered his arm as support as they made their slow way back to the living room.

Charles hurriedly cleaned dishes and was wiping down the counters when Erik stepped back into the room, “Alright, she’s out, let’s get this done,” he whispered grimly.

They worked in silent tandem, Erik moving his clothes to Charles’ closet while Charles cleared space in his chest of drawers for Erik’s things.They quickly arranged pictures and personal items around the master bedroom to make it seem that they’d been sharing it for months. Fortunately the apartment only had one bathroom, so they had nothing to address on that front. They quickly changed out the linens on the bed in Erik’s room and briefly cracked the window to air it out of its lived in feel.

“Okay, I think it looks good,” Charles smiled at their handy work which they’d completed in just under an hour.

“Yeah, guest room all the way,” Erik cracked a smile and draped his arm over Charles’ shoulder, “What would I do without your crazy ideas?” He asked fondly ruffling his fingers through the smaller mans hair in a moment of camaraderie.

“Live a dull, unfulfilled life,” Charles retorted with a put upon sigh and a hangdog expression.

“That’s enough out of you,” Erik poked him playfully in the side, affection bubbling over no matter how he tried to contain it. “Alright, let’s go wake mama; she’ll be pissed if we let her sleep the day away,” he tugged the other man towards the door.

“I would be too if I only got to see you once a week and you let me sleep it away,” Charles said absently as they made their way back to the front of the apartment.

Erik startled at that, but Charles didn’t catch his slip and simply smiled at him as they made their way down the hall. Erik smiled back, warmth filling his heart at the building evidence that Charles wasn’t as indifferent to him as he’d long suspected.

~~

They spent the rest of the afternoon and early evening entertaining Edie and eventually coaxing her to eat a slice of lemon cheesecake while Charles rubbed her feet.

“You boys are going to spoil me,” she warned playfully as she made a valiant effort to eat the portion she’d been given.

“That’s alright, everyone needs a little spoiling once in a while,” Charles gave her a conspiratorial wink that she returned with gusto. They giggled at Erik’s expressive reaction to their silliness.

It was nearing seven when she finally sighed, time for her to go. She had her treatment early the next afternoon and bed check was at eight.

“Time to head out?” Charles asked gently, catching her glance at the time.

“Yes, I’m afraid so boys, thank you for inviting me, this has been a perfect day,” she beamed, eyes shining.

“How would you feel about staying?” Erik asked with a small frown, he’d been uncharacteristically quiet for the past few minutes.

“Why do you ask?”

“It’s been sleeting for almost an hour now and it may be best to make the trip in the morning,” he reasoned.

She and Charles shared a surprised glance out the window which was indeed slick with freezing rain. They’d been having such a nice time that they hadn’t noticed the chilly weather turn nasty.

She shuddered at the thought of leaving their warm home and trekking back to the care center in the foul elements. Her brief sojourn to the restroom earlier had sapped her strength and the thought of heading across town made her want to sleep for a week.

“If it wouldn’t be too much trouble,” she hedged.

“Certainly not Edie, I can take you in on my way to work,” Charles insisted as Erik gave a relieved nod and made the call to inform the home. “You can sleep in Erik’s-old room. We made it into a guest room; you’ll be the first to use it.”

“I look forwards to that,” she admitted tiredly. Refusing his kind offer to help her nightly ablutions she allowed Erik to help her to the bathroom then the guest room where Erik had placed her satchel on the bed.

“Goodnight mama, call if you need anything,” he set a glass of water on the end table and kissed her cheek before making his way out.

“Good night dearest,” she replied softly.

Sean had packed her warmest pajamas and another pair of woolen socks which she changed into before sinking into the warmth of the bed. She drifted off to the sounds of rain tapping against the window pane and the low rumble of the boys’ voices as they prepared themselves for bed.

~~

Charles shivered in excitement, huddled under the blankets waiting for Erik to join him. His heart was racing; he finally had Erik in his bed, at least for the night. Though the circumstances weren’t ideal, he’d take what he could get.

There was no chance of either of them sleeping on the couch; if Edie made use of the facilities or went to get another glass of water it could all too easily give the game away.

Erik entered the room and shut the light, leaving the door open just a crack to be able to hear his mother call out if need be. He quickly crossed to the bed and climbed beneath the sheets on the other side.

They lay like that for a long while, side by side, unmoving and not touching. After a bit Charles began to wonder if Erik had already fallen asleep, though he sincerely doubted he’d be able to do the same.

“Come here,” Erik’s low voice caused him to jump in shock.

“Erik?” he whispered, feeling immediately foolish, who else would it be?

“Sorry, were you sleeping?” came the low reply. At least the other man blamed his odd question on the fog of sleep, Charles simply shuffled over without answering, why had Erik called him over?

The larger man easily manhandled Charles onto his side and pulled him close to rest his head against Erik’s heartbeat, smoothing a large palm along his spine at a steady pace. “You were shivering,” he said by way of explanation, his breath a warm puff against Charles’ ear.

He didn’t trust his voice to reply so he just burrowed deeper against Erik’s broad chest and looped an arm over his impossibly slender waist.

“Comfy?” Erik asked, amused by Charles’ unabashed love of cuddles.

“Yes,” he whispered back softly from the safety of Erik’s arms. ‘Three cuddles in a week, once in bed’ he mentally updated his tally.

“Stop thinking and go to sleep,” Erik chided. Charles closed his eyes and decided to play along, though he planned to stay awake as long as possible to commit every moment of this night to memory.

Erik only smiled to himself and wrapped his arms tighter around the tiny brunette who’d made all this possible before falling headlong into dreams where their lies were made true and happily ever after did exist.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next update soon!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys tell their friends! Edie has a doctors appointment! The day of the interview approaches! Angel and Sean make a discovery...

The next morning dawned bright and cold, but the sleet had stopped and the forecast for the day was clear. Erik was obviously pleased with his decision to ask Edie to stay the night and Charles couldn’t fault him for it. He knew neither of them would ever forgive themselves if she fell ill from being taken out in inclement weather while under their watch.

They were roused by his alarm which served for them both since Erik never remembered to set one and he could easily hear Charles’ through the wall. The same was apparently true for his mother.

Edie had seemingly slept comfortably through the night, though Erik did note that she’d entirely drained the large tumbler of water he’d provided. His concern for her couldn’t be helped however, and they played the gentlemen and let her use the facilities first.

For Charles, the strangest thing about that morning was how normal it felt. He and Erik woke intertwined in Charles’ luxurious bed, curled together closer than ever before and… simply moved on and started their day from there.

He was still processing this when Erik pressed his lunch into his hands along with Edie’s satchel to carry. As usual she felt strongest in the mornings so she didn’t need to be carried to the car. However she still relied heavily on Erik’s support to make it through the building under her own power.

He was only too happy to assist and Charles went a bit ahead of them to open doors and the like. He could tell that Edie was happy not to be the object of speculation in the busy corridors of the building the way she would have been had she been too frail to walk.

Charles felt a pleased swell of warmth at the sight of them moving slowly down the hall together, heads tucked close, shared love and affection clear in their manner.

He ducked his head after a moment, feeling something like a voyeur on an unexpectedly tender moment.

The trio soon made it to the garage and Charles rushed ahead to warm up the car at least a bit before opening the door for Edie to climb inside. Erik once again declined their offer to drop him at the foundry on their way, he was adamant as usual about catching his regular bus. Charles knew it boiled down to a matter of pride and had given up the fight long ago.

Edie was a bit perplexed but let it slide, knowing how stubborn her son could be once he’d made up his mind.

“Have a good day mama, I’ll call you later to see how it went,” he always called after her treatments  but before she started feeling awful from them. He never forgot.

“Thank you sweetheart, I’ll talk to you then,” she smiled and settled in, buckling her seatbelt and making sure she was all set to go.

“Goodbye, Charles, have a nice day,” Erik said to the smaller man, making no effort to be affectionate with his fiancée.

“Bye Erik, see you tonight. I’ll text you later,” Charles said with a soft look.

“Don’t be like that boys,” Edie cut in, “I’m not an old prude you can give each other a kiss for the day.”

They both looked at her in surprise.

“Well? Go on or we’ll hit the worst traffic,” she gave Erik _the look_ and he quickly leaned in and pressed a slightly longer than perfunctory kiss onto Charles’ shining red lips.

Charles pulled away as if dazed then glanced at her, turning red as a berry while she pretended to be preoccupied with adjusting her seatbelt. The boy was too shy for his own good, but she didn’t want to make him feel uncomfortable if she could avoid it.

She glanced up to see Erik looking fondly after Charles as he scrambled to get into the car and head out for the day. She’d never seen that look on his face, but then again she supposed she’d never seen him in love before.

~~

“You’re getting married _? To Erik!?_ ” Moira practically shrieked drawing all eyes in the break room and making Charles wish fervently for a hole to open in the floor and swallow him in.

Moira was having none of it, “You sly dog! This whole time you’ve been denying you two were an item. I know you’re the private sort Charles but there is such a thing as taking it too far!” She chided happily. “You have to tell me everything!” She leaned forwards expectantly, eyes shining with excitement.

He had severely underestimated her response to this news, and was more than a bit taken aback. He fiddled with the sandwich Erik had packed for him that morning, shyly refusing to meet her eyes.  “He proposed on Valentine’s day, we haven’t set a date yet or anything, I just… wanted you to know,” he mumbled, blushing hard as he fielded felicitations from several of his co-workers scattered around the room.

 " _Valentines Day?_ What took you so long to say anything? OH! Did you not answer him until now? That’s cruel Charles, to keep a man waiting like that,” she said censoriously, a look of clear disapproval in her eyes.

“No, no! Nothing like that! We just wanted to tell his mom before anyone else and we waited until she was feeling well enough to hear the news,” he defended himself quickly before she got it into her head to try to call Erik and comfort him. That would not go over well.

“Aww, that’s so sweet of you guys,” she cooed. “Henry, Henry, _Hank_!” Moira finally snapped at their tablemate who was lost in a science periodical even at lunch.

“Hmmm, what?” he asked distractedly, not bothering to lift his gaze from the page.

“Charles is getting married!” she cheered.

Hank blinked owlishly behind his horn rimmed glasses, “Congratulations Charles,” he offered before turning back to his magazine without further comment.

The look on Moira’s face could have curdled milk. Charles burst out laughing, “Thank you Hank, thank you Moira.” _You’re the best friends I’ve ever had_. “How do you feel about being in a wedding party?” he ventured nervously.

Moira gave a wide smile and blinked tears out of her eyes, “I’d like nothing better,” she said softly, reaching across the table to cover his hand with hers.  They turned to Hank who clearly wasn’t listening but, well they could fill him in on the details later Charles decided charitably.

~~

“Charles?” Erik called hesitantly as the other man entered their apartment with far less enthusiasm than usual. He came in from the kitchen as he heard the front door close.

“Ah, yes?” he asked uncertainly, turning to remove his outerwear so he wouldn’t have to face what was sure to be an awkward conversation about their kiss that morning. Or perhaps the bed sharing. Or both. Probably both Charles decided, feeling especially fatalistic.

He’d spent what little free time he had that day alternating between joy and despondency while recalling each precious moment.

“Charles, please look at me,” Erik asked, gently tugging his arm until he reluctantly turned to face the taller man keeping his eyes stubbornly fixed on his roommates’ stocking feet. Erik’s heart sank at the smaller man’s avoidant behavior. Perhaps he’d read this whole thing wrong all along. “Charles I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable this morning,” Erik began haltingly causing Charles to snap his eyes up to meet Erik’s tortured gaze.

“It’s no trouble,” Charles quickly cut in, voice cracking embarrassingly in the middle of the sentence. He cleared his throat self consciously. “I mean we’re engaged. It’s normal for us to kiss right?”

Some of the tension left Erik’s shoulders and he had begun to look more than a little relieved, “Yes? Yes. You’re right of course,” he gave a small laugh; “I was worried all day about what you would-but yes. It’s alright then, if we kiss sometimes?” He still sounded uncertain about that.

“Yes, no,” Charles contradicted himself. “I mean, you didn’t make me uncomfortable. I was just shy because your mom was there,” he half lied, shifting his weight between his feet.

Erik chose to take that at face value since Charles wasn't flinching away from him any more. He'd scared himself half to death worrying about the other man's reaction to their kiss. He was only too happy to move on to the next issue. “About my mother being there,” he began slowly, weighing his words carefully.

Charles frowned at Erik’s serious tone, “Is everything alright? Did her treatment-?”

“Everything is fine, Charles. She’s fine; I just talked to her little while ago,” he reassured quickly, silently cursing his abrupt manner for the umpteenth time.

“Good, you had me scared for a minute there,” Charles gave a shaky smile.

“I’m sorry to worry you. It’s just that...it was nice spending so much time with her and I could tell she loved being out of the care home even if just for the day.”

“Yeah, she had roses in her cheeks when I dropped her off this morning,” Charles agreed, smiling at the memory.

“Yes exactly, she looked great! And she ate so much yesterday,” he practically gushed with pride.

“Well, there's nothing like a home cooked meal, especially by you.”

Erik blushed unsure of how to respond to the compliment. “Right well, I was thinking that maybe we could make it a regular thing, if you don’t mind.” He held his breath, waiting for the other mans’ decision.

Charles frowned at the other man’s hesitation in asking him. “Well of course we can, that’s actually a great idea. I’m just sorry I didn’t think of it myself,” he gave Erik a slightly hurt look. “You know this is your home as much as mine, and your guests are more than-”

Erik cut him off with a light squeeze to his shoulder, “That’s not what I meant,” he hedged. Blue eyes swam with confusion.

Erik tried again, “It would make more sense to keep things the way they are.” Charles nodded slowly, still wondering what the other man was getting at.

“ _Where_ they are,” he said leadingly. “Right?” the smaller man agreed, clearly still at sea.

“With my things in your room so we don’t have to shift back and forth every week,” he finally said in a rush. Shocked comprehension dawned on Charles’ face, causing Erik to panic. “It also makes good sense for other reasons! I mean, what if the loan agency does a home visit?” he blurted out the first thing that came to mind.

Charles was floored; “You want to stay in my room?” he clarified, beginning to wonder if he was weaving some elaborate daydream whilst sitting behind the microscope at his workstation.

“I can just keep my things there if you prefer, and only sleep with you on Sundays. I can stay in the other room the rest of the week,” he quietly assured the smaller man, trying to hide his disappointment that Charles wanted his own space back so quickly.

“No! That’s not what I meant, I was _asking_. I mean, I’d like it if you stayed. I _want_ you to stay. You _should_ stay. Like you said, we need to create a believable fiction,” Charles stuttered out with that shy smile that always melted Erik’s heart.

Erik ignored the fact that he’d said nothing of the sort and merely grinned eagerly in response. Whatever Charles had heard that made him agree was fine by him.

~~

Edie tried to relax on the exam table as much as she was able. It was hard for her to keep warm these days. At least when she had her treatments she was allowed to wear whatever she liked, unfortunately today was a physical so she was in a thin medical gown without clasps.

She felt absolutely wretched and was sure she looked worse. Why they had to schedule regular appointments so soon after she’d had a treatment was beyond her. It had only been a day.

She wrapped her thin arms around herself trying not to shiver. Sometimes she was still surprised by how prominent her ribs had become, how brittle her skin felt. She glanced down at the starburst of deep blue veins that ran along her once muscled thigh. At times she was almost grateful Jake hadn’t lived to see her in this condition. She always felt guilty for those thoughts, as if he’d only been with her for her looks which she knew wasn’t the case.

She was pulled from her reverie by a firm rap on the doorjamb just as Nurse Frost stepped into the room without waiting for an answer. Edie didn’t particularly care for her as she was often brusque to the point of being rude. But she was competent enough at her job that Edie let it slide. Perhaps her bedside manner would improve given time. She was young yet.

“Hello, Mrs. Lehnsherr, I’m just here to take your vitals and I’ll remain present while the doctor conducts his examination, simply to make note of his observations,” Edie struggled not to roll her eyes. Honestly Nurse Frost had all the warmth and animation of an automaton.

“Thank you nurse, is there any way I can trouble you for a blanket? I’m very cold,” she rasped weakly.

“I’m sure you’ll be fine for the few minutes the exam will take, then your _aide_ can come help you re-dress,” She said, a hint of irritation lacing her tone.

Perhaps she had some issue with the staff from the care home, but Edie couldn’t picture the person who could take issue with Armando. He drove the access van to take the patients to their offsite appointments. It wasn’t a full time job so he also worked as an EMT, Edie loved to hear his exciting stories as he chauffeured her around town.

She frowned at the thought that perhaps the nurse held a prejudice…but she had no proof of that and didn’t want to paint on unflattering picture of the young woman, even in the privacy of her own mind.

The nurse finished the preliminaries with perfunctory care, not being rough but not taking care to be gentle either. Edie wouldn’t be surprised to find a few new bruises on her now delicate skin once this was all said and done.

She was just eager for it to be over with so that she could rest. She’d never felt so ill in all her life.

Fortunately the doctor arrived soon after and immediately fetched her a blanket when he saw her shivering. Edie hid a smile at the pinched look that came over the nurse’s face.

“Thank you Dr. Shaw,” she said, gratefully snuggling under the thin weave.

“It’s no problem at all, Mrs. Lehnsherr. Now let’s see how you are doing these days hmm?” he gave her a big smile that had always seemed hollow, a bit vague behind the eyes. And she wasn’t blind, he and that nurse were more than just colleagues or she’d eat her hat.

But he was kind and never less than professional. She’d been referred to him for a second opinion upon diagnoses by her primary care physician Dr. Essex, who was one of the best in the state. Erik would never let her hear the end of it if she went for anything less than the best.

He took a few more samples and asked her questions about her appetite, her reactions immediately following treatment, her sleeping patterns and so on and so forth. Nurse Frost scribbling along silently all the while.

By the time they were finally finished and sent Armando to her, she was so drained she could barely move or speak. She also had the uncanny feeling that the doctor had kept her so long looking to get exactly that reaction. But she couldn’t make heads or tails of why that would be.

Armando had her dressed and warm before she knew it and they were soon on their way back to the care home. She pushed her disconcerting feelings aside to dwell on later and allowed the soothing motion of the van to lull her to sleep

~~

“You need Thursday afternoon off?” his direct supervisor grunted as he hauled a load of scrap to the baler.

“Yeah,” Erik frowned at the other mans self destructive tendencies, “You could use a lift for that, or even a hand crank,” he suggested reluctantly, knowing the response he was likely to get.

“Don’t tell me how to do my job, kid!” he yelled as he flung what appeared to be a manhole cover into the scrapper.

Since that’s exactly what he’d expected Logan to say, Erik simply held both hands up in a placating manner, “Sorry, boss.”

Logan quirked one bushy eyebrow in his direction, “did you just apologize, Lehnsherr? What the hell is going on? You get a personality transplant or something?” he cracked up at his own joke.

Erik bit back a sharp retort, and exhaled tightly though his nose. “No, I just need Thursday afternoon off if you don’t mind,” he grit out tensely, hating to explain himself to anyone.

“There’s the Lehnsherr I know!” Logan crowed, “But wait, why? You took off early last week too,” he frowned then shuffled his feet, suddenly finding piles of scrap metal to be the most interesting thing in the world.

Erik waited for the verdict somewhat indifferently, if he didn’t get clearance he’d simply take the day. He was only asking out of courtesy.

 Logan hesitated before awkwardly clearing his throat and beginning again, “Hey kid, if this is about your mom I told you we can work out a schedule-”

“No!” Erik all but snapped, irritated beyond belief at the other mans’ nosiness and assumptions. He took a deep breath and let out a sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger. “Alright, if I tell you will you leave it alone?”

**

By midmorning everyone at the foundry knew that Erik was engaged to young-hot, old-money as Logan put it. But he’d approved Erik’s request to take off early for their interview and his big mouth also saved Erik the hassle of having to explain himself to anyone else so he chose to see it as a win.

Until of course, “Janos won’t say anything but he is a hurt as I am, perhaps more. I thought we were friends,” Azazel glowered as Erik loaded a pallet with ship-parts. He was panting from the labor even when using the hand crank, and felt uncomfortably sure that someone was watching him work. It was a disconcerting feeling and one he did not appreciate.

“Do you wanna help me with this?” he grunted, struggling to lift a particularly heavy piece while surreptitiously glancing around.

“Not really, no. I may be willing to help a _friend_. But-” Erik stopped listening to what promised to be an endless and increasingly dramatic tirade.

He worked for a bit longer before the feeling of being watched became too much to ignore. Just as he was about to risk interrupting Az when he was on a roll, he noticed Janos sulking in the shadows of the loading dock, giving him a betrayed look. Well that explained that.

“Ugh, alright,” he cut off Azazel’s whining with a quickness. “Charles wants a small wedding. He’s only got two, so I get two right? It’s you two. So can we cut the-” he gasped as Az lurched forwards to clutch him tightly to his sweaty Russian chest.

Erik stiffened in his arms and struggled to pull away as quickly as possible without offending the other man.

Janos of course hadn’t heard their conversation over the constant noise of the machinery but had approached out of reluctant curiosity at the sight of their embrace.

“Janos! We are Erik’s wedding party, he was simply too nervous to ask!” Azazel called jovially, relief evident in his voice. Erik chose not to correct him; he was actually somewhat touched to see how much they cared.

Janos gave him a bright smile and a firm handshake, clapping him on the shoulder and offering his own congratulations. At least that’s what Erik assumed, he couldn’t hear the soft spoken man over the ambient noise of the docks.

“Thank you both, really. I’ll be sure to introduce you to Charles soon,” he said, unsure of how to respond to such overt overtures of friendship. Well, not overtures. Apparently these guys were already his friends and he’d been too caught up in his personal life to see he mused, watching Janos make his way back to his work station with a spring in his step.

It was a sobering thought that Erik distracted himself from by taking the time to text Charles the news while he caught his breath. He received a response of about 50 emoticons before he could even put his phone back in his pocket.

Erik huffed a laugh at how full his life had become without him noticing. He shrugged and pocketed his phone, happy to see Azazel making his way back with a lift to help him load the pallet. He supposed there were worse things to be had than friends.

~~

Angel frowned as she glanced over the e-file Dr. Shaw had sent over for Miss Edie. The numbers seemed off for some reason but she couldn’t put her finger on why. Something about them just didn’t add up.

“Hey, Sean?”

“Yes, milady?” he drawled from where he was doing data entry on another set of patients.

“You focused mainly on blood work analysis in school right?”

“Yeah, why?” the question was odd enough to draw his full attention.

“I need you to come take a look at this and tell me if I’m crazy,” she murmured, scowling at the screen all the while.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Your response to this has floored me! I've never seen so many comments on one chapter in all my life! Thank you so much for the support! Next update soon!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Charles has a dream! The boys get some good news! Edie feels ill.

Charles felt the low bass beat throb through his body as the colorful lights flickered across the crowded dance floor. He didn’t know the name of the club and couldn’t remember how he’d come to be there but none of that mattered. Not with Erik crowded close behind him under the pulsing strobe lights. They were pressed tightly together in the crush of the  faceless, noiseless crowd. Charles felt the thick press of his roommates’ sizeable erection drag against the cleft of his ass. He ground back to the sensual throb of the music, gasping as Erik wrapped a long fingered hand possessively over one hip and pulled him impossibly closer. The taller man held him steady and thrust against him in a perfect mimicry of the carnal act.

Charles gasped awake on the cusp of climax, desire flooding his system, arousal thundering through his veins.  

Erik panted a stifled groan into his ear, shifting his hips minutely and sending a shockwave of pleasure up Charles’ bare spine. He shivered and then held perfectly still, fearful of rousing the other man. He finally dared risk moving away from his still sleeping bed partner. After long moments of shifting away in tiny increments, a slumbering Erik finally released his hold and rolled over onto his other side with a reluctant grumble.

Charles fled to the bathroom without a second thought, closing the door quietly behind him and leaning against the cool wood, not pausing for breath before reaching into his loose pajama bottoms and taking himself in hand. It only took a matter of strokes to find relief, the dream still fresh in his mind stoking the fires of his lust.

Charles exhaled shakily; waking from an explicit dream about his roommate had become the norm shortly after the taller man moved in. He generally dealt with the effects of such dreams the usual way before leaving his bed first thing in the morning.

It had long been a nightmare of his for Erik to hear him moan his name through their shared wall as he’d been known to talk in his sleep, but the other man had never mentioned anything and Charles was too shy to ask. If Erik was simply being polite by not mentioning the evidence of his embarrassing dreams he didn’t want to know.

Fortunately, and for reasons unknown to his conscious mind, he hadn’t suffered his usual nocturnal imaginings in the few days since they’d begun sharing a room and more importantly, a bed. Today apparently marked the end of the reprieve he’d been granted by his subconscious mind and he’d never been more mortified –or aroused- in all his life.

He quickly washed away the evidence of his early morning caper and splashed cold water on his face in efforts to clear his head.

Glancing at the time he saw that it was nearly time for the alarm to go off and he knew for sure Erik wouldn’t wake before then so he decided to take the time to collect himself before having to face his erotic ideal in person.

That’s how Erik found him not twenty minutes later, sitting on the couch pretending to read the Journal Science.

They exchanged stilted good mornings that Charles suspected Erik didn’t notice, sleep walker that he was before he had his first cup of coffee. Once he heard the other man shuffling around the kitchen, starting a fresh brew and setting up to pack their lunches, he slipped past and headed to the bathroom to begin getting ready for the day.

Erik breathed a sigh of relief once he heard the pipes squeak in the moments before the shower gave a reluctant gush of hot water.  He’d woken from a dream he couldn’t properly recall except to know he’d been thrusting into Charles who was fully prepped, slick, and begging for his cock. And that was certainly enough to be going on, at least for the almost painful erection he’d woken up with to the shrill cry of the alarm.

For a single breathtaking moment of terror he lay face down on the mattress, trapping his traitorous cock between his belly and the body warmed sheets. He nervously shut the alarm before turning to greet his roommate. He had no idea how he was going to make it out of the bed; much less the room without giving the other man an eyeful.

His cock gave an excited pulse at the thought of showing Charles the effect he had on him. But, miracle of miracles the other man was not on his side of the bed. Not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, Erik had quickly flipped onto his back and spent himself across his chest and abs within moments of continuing the fantasy of the dream with the help his waking mind and his right hand.  He’d cleaned himself  up as best he could, making a quick stop to the bathroom before finding Charles reading calmly in the early morning light.

Erik frowned to himself at the thought of the smaller man not getting enough rest and made a mental note to ask after his sleep the night before. He paused for a moment to absorb the view, before making his presence known. He’d never seen a more beautiful sight than the early rays filtering between the half drawn blinds, flirting with the red and gold highlights in Charles’s seemingly monochrome hair. He grumbled out a hopefully normal sounding good morning before making a tactical retreat to the kitchen before he could say or do something to give himself and his earlier actions away.

~~

The awkward start to the morning gave way to their normal banter by the time Charles headed out the door for work. Erik having teased him out of his painfully shy cocoon more times than either man could count, though only Charles knew the real reason why he couldn’t bring himself to interact fully with the other man on certain mornings.

“Have a good day sweetheart,”

“You too darling,” Charles ducked his head to hide a grin as Erik pecked him on one freckled cheek while handing him his lunch.

“I’ll call you if I hear anything, you do the same. _Don’t worry about getting me in trouble_ , this is more important than me getting written up,” Erik cut of Charles’ protests about calling him during work hours before he could voice them.

“I’m more worried about you getting dismembered,” Charles retorted darkly, having all number of vile imaginings of the terrifying machines he pictured Erik dangling over for hours every day.

The taller man rolled his eyes, knowing his friends fears all too well after more than one well meaning but exceedingly dull discourse on “safety culture.”

“I swear I’m going to get give you a tour of the foundry so you can sleep easy at night, you act like I’m working in a live volcano!” Erik replied dismissively. “ _Please_ , just promise you’ll call if you hear anything,” he pleaded.

Charles sighed, he was such a fool for Erik, they both knew how this would end. “Alright, I promise.” He agreed begrudgingly, turning his face away from Erik’s self satisfied grin.

“That’s why you’re my favorite fiancée,” he leaned in smoothly and pressed a quick kiss to Charles’ partially open mouth, causing the other man to flush blood red, mouth gaping like a fish. “You’d better head out, can’t have the boss leaving early and coming in late,” he said lightly, affectionately running his fingers through the smaller mans slightly shaggy hair.

Charles snapped his mouth shut with an audible click, “Actually I’m sure you’ll find that’s exactly what the boss can do,” he said imperiously in his most snobbish tone, knowing it made Erik laugh like nothing else. The sound of Erik’s rarely heard belly laugh carried him out the door and delivered him all the way to work with a fond smile still painted on his face.

**

They’d had their interview the day before and were cautiously optimistic about their chances of getting at least a partial sum loan. The board had consisted of two men and one woman. The men Mr. Black and Mr. Bishop were the co-founders of LaLove, and the woman, Dr. Munroe was a licensed relationship therapist. Charles and Erik were among their first serious contenders for the loans, and the trio had seemed inclined in their favor based on the forms they’d submitted.  Their favorable impression had only seemed to improve as the interpersonal interview progressed

Now the wait began again with the board promising a decision by Monday at the latest. They’d been very sensitive to the time constraints that the nervous young couple was operating under.

Erik had been disappointed not to receive an immediate answer, but had reluctantly agreed that having to wait on an answer was better than an immediate dismissal of their request, though they now they faced a long weekend of worry that their plan would not come to fruition.

Charles absently greeted his team as they arrived and began working on their scheduled tasks; he pushed his personal worried aside and quickly lost himself in the workflow of playing catch up for all that he’d missed from the half day he’d taken the previous afternoon.

He was so lost in the data sets that Hank had collected for him to peruse, that he startled in his seat when Moira caught his attention to head to lunch. He looked up from his workstation, surprised to find that it was early afternoon and the lab was empty of everyone but himself and Hank.

“Come along Charles, you have to make us all jealous of your delicious homemade lunches,” Moira teased, knowing how Charles hated to be the center of attention. Especially sense he couldn’t answer any of the recipe questions his co workers asked about his delicious home cooked meals.

He paled at the thought. Erik. The other man would have texted him at least once by now and must be frantic with the lack of response.  He told Moira to head down to the break room without him- but not without Hank, and rushed to pull his phone from his messenger bag where he’d left it all morning. Cursing his one track mind when it came to research.

He riffled through the bag desperately, and just as he was beginning to despair of having left it at home, it began to ring. He flinched in surprise, closing his hand over the offending item and warily contemplating the unknown number displayed on his screen.

He weighed his options. There was a chance it was his step father, calling to harass him bitterly about the trust. Kurt never called from the same number twice; at least not once he’d realized that Charles immediately blocked each number he used. But there was an arguably better chance that it was LaLove calling to tell him their decision.

He impulsively decided to take the risk of being verbally abused in person rather than through explicit voicemail if only to hear the good news, if that’s what it was.

“Hello?” he asked, voice trembling with trepidation, just waiting to hear his stepfather say-

“Hello is this Charles Xavier?” asked a soothing female voice. He sagged in back into his chair, lightheaded with relief.

“Yes, speaking,” he smiled before bolting upright in his chair at her next words.

“This is Dr. Munroe; we met yesterday at the offices of LaLove?”

“Yes, of course Dr. Munroe, lovely to hear from you again,” _and so soon!_ His heart rate skyrocketed as his palms broke out in a cold sweat.

“I just wanted to personally notify you that you and your fiancée have been awarded one of our wedding loans, money to be released on short notice due to the…time sensitive nature of your request. You have my congratulations on being one of the first couples to be approved through our loan process and you are _the_ _first_ to receive the full $10,000 amount,” she said kindly.

Charles sat in frozen silence, unable to comprehend the news, “Mr. Xavier? Are you there?” her concerned voice echoed down the line.

“Yes, I- I’m here. I just don’t know what to say,” he gave a small laugh that broke towards the end as tears clouded his vision.

“I understand, Mr. Xavier, it takes time to process news of this magnitude,” she assured him gently, sounding genuinely pleased to be the one to deliver the message. “You’ll be receiving an email soon about the next steps in the process. Congratulations again.”

“Thank you, thank you so much. Oh my goodness! Thank you!” he babbled nonsensically until she laughingly disconnected the call, with an admonishment to call his fiancée.

He stared blankly at the screen of his phone until it went black. Until it shocked him out of his reverie by vibrating angrily in his hand, informing him that he’d missed two texts from his roommate. He immediately opened their conversation, set to type a response before he remembered the promise Erik had extracted from him that morning, and the kisses that had accompanied the request. Erik was growing more affectionate with each passing day, and Charles was the grateful recipient of that attention.

He scrambled to call the other man, eager to tell him that their plan had worked beyond their wildest dreams.

~~

Erik frowned at his phone, trying not to worry that Charles hadn’t replied to either of his messages. He knew how the other man could get once he went into ‘research mode’ but he’d been more readily available since Edie started chemo and Erik had become surprisingly accustomed to having the other man’s near constant attention over the past several months.

He settled in to eat his lunch, sharing long suffering looks with Janos as Logan and Azazel riffed the cargo crew without cease. If it went on for much longer he’d have to start taking bets on who’d throw the first punch. It was Logan, it was always Logan, and it always would be Logan. How he ever became foreman was beyond Erik, but those decisions were above his pay grade.

His phone rang. It was a surprising enough sound to cut through the playful jibes of his co workers as they turned as one to watch him answer the call.

He darted away from the table quickly, wanting to take the call in private, even knowing that his food was forfeit once his back was turned. He  moved a few feet away and wiped his finger across the image of Charles’ smiling, freckled face that served as his caller ID.

“Hello?”

“Erik?” Charles asked,  voice strained and tight.

“Charles, is everything alright?” he asked softly, even as he mentally prepared himself for the news that they’d been denied the loan.

Charles gasped for breath then burst out with what sounded like a combination of laughing and crying, “WE GOT IT! THEY LIKED US!” he cried.

The rest of his excited chatter was lost in the rush of Erik’s heartbeat pounding in his ears, unable to believe that it had worked.

“ERIK?! ERIK!!” he finally put the phone back to his ear only to jerk away from the speaker as Charles yelled his name at the top of his lungs once more.

“Yes! What? I’m here,” he assured the other man, who was clearly more worked up than he could handle. “Charles? Charles, darling you have to calm down, please. What will your employees think?” he asked joyously as Charles continued his incoherent jabber about emails and full amounts and contracts and even something about his step father that Erik couldn’t catch.

He smiled as he listened to his fiancées fit with one ear and heard his co workers arguing over his couscous salad with the other.

He felt entirely happy in that moment. Like nothing could ever bring him down. He pushed all worries out of his mind and simply allowed himself to bask in the fact that soon he'd be married to the man of his dreams for however long it lasted.

~~

Edie wearily ate as much of her calorically dense meal as she could, which wasn’t much. But she made a concerted effort, looking forwards to another weekend with her boys and wanting to build her steadily waning strength.

She was no fool; she could feel her life energy draining away with each treatment she received. She only had two more treatments in this round and she was terrified that the doctor would prescribe a fourth.

She already knew she couldn’t handle that, she no longer had the strength or the inclination to hold forth. She wondered anxiously how she would tell Erik that it had become too much, that she was giving up the fight.

She blinked tears out of her eyes at the thought of that conversation, how could she let her boy down? But on the other hand, how could she continue to live this half life of pain and despair? Perhaps he would understand, he had Charles now, his own life, he’d be alright. He had to be.

She guiltily wondered if she could convince them to elope to the courthouse and take her as their witness. That way she could be there for their day and they could plan their wedding in their own time without a sick old woman weighing them down. Then she could finally let go of her fragile hold on this untenable life.

She pushed her food away, tray still more than half full, unable to stomach another bite. Hopefully the boys would get some good news soon; it was just so hard to hold on. Edie felt more of herself slip away with each passing day. She made a mental note to mention her idea to Erik, knowing it would petrify him, but not sure what else she could do. She was out of options and was ready to admit that she was very nearly out of time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all the love!! Next Update soon!!


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dramatic Romantic Conclusion!

Charles rushed home that evening eager to see his fiancée and perhaps claim a few kisses of his own. He’d been working up the nerve to initiate a kiss, and today felt like the perfect opportunity. This way if it backfired and Erik rejected his advances he could play if off as just celebrating their good news and simply crawl away to nurse his broken heart in private.

However if Erik reciprocated his feelings as their earlier kisses would suggest… Charles tried not to get too worked up over that possibility. If life had taught him one thing it was never to hope for too much. And hoping for Erik to love him, or even like him as more than a friend was like hoping to live forever. But perhaps he could try, he’d be a fool to miss out on the love of his life because of his aversion to hope.

Properly hyped to attempt a kiss he took a deep breath and stepped into the apartment.

“Erik?” he called upon entering. Half excited half anxious and rapidly losing his courage. The taller man stuck his head out from the laundry room with a bright smile.

“Be with you in a moment, Charles,” he disappeared from view momentarily, giving Charles the chance to hang up his jacket and kick off his shoes. He ran his fingers through his hair and licked his lips in that nervous tick he still couldn’t control.

He glanced up to find Erik watching him with an odd expression on his face, “Erik,” he breathed softly, voice failing him at the sight of his masculine deal.

“Charles,” Erik rasped softly, looking like a starving man at a banquet. Did Erik always look at him that way, he wondered. If so, how could he have missed it? The look gave him the boost he needed to step in close to the taller man, roll up onto his tip toes and kiss him full on the mouth.

For a timeless instant everything froze. There was nothing of the universe but the warmth of their bodies and the touch of their lips.

Then Erik parted his lips and pulled him closer; hands coming to rest on the small mans hips as he tilted his head and took the kiss deeper, purring with satisfaction as Charles eagerly opened to him and lifted his arms to twine around his neck.

They kissed deep and shameless for an endless length of time until Erik pulled away just far enough to look into the shorter mans eyes.

“Charles, what brought this on?” he asked, confused but thrilled by this development.

“Nothing in particular, I’ve just wanted to do that for the longest time and today it just felt right,” Charles answered shyly.

With those words, Erik felt a long held weight lift from his soul. “What does that mean? You’ve wanted to do it for a long time? How long?” he asked gently.

But Charles looked away bashfully and shook his head, refusing to answer as he tried to disentangle himself from Erik’s tender embrace. But the other man wouldn’t let go, not now that he was finally seeing the whole picture he’d only been glimpsing pieces of for the longest time. They’d been such fools all this time.

He clutched his fiancée tightly, “Charles, what if I told you I’ve wanted to kiss you since the moment we met?” Erik asked softly. Charles froze, but at least he stopped trying to pull away. Erik shifted him in his arms and pulled the small man close to his chest and rested his chin on top of his head.

“But –no. Since we…? But why didn’t you?” Charles asked, too reticent to look at Erik while speaking he  tucked his face against Erik’s neck, his breath a warm rush of air over the delicate skin of his throat.

“Because, Charles. I couldn’t imagine what you could see in me. You’re so handsome, so smart and successful. Soon you’ll even be rich. And what am I?” he asked with the raw self deprecation that had kept him from openly pursuing Charles over the course of their friendship.

“Perfect,” Charles answered without missing a beat. “You are perfect to me, you are handsome and kind and hardworking and funny. And you could be with anyone; I see the looks you get when we go out. You look like a model or the cover of a romance novel and I’m just…Charles.” He finished in a shamed whisper.

“No,” Erik said decisively, feeling joy spring forth in his heart that Charles could think such lovely things about him.

“No?” he asked uncertainly, still held tight to his love’s chest.  

“You’re mine,” Erik informed him, sincerely as fact.

“Yes,” he rejoined softly, pulling back to look into Erik’s eyes, seeing the love he felt reflected in their steely depths. “Yes, Erik. I’m yours,” he murmured against the other man’s lips before claiming them once more in a passionate kiss.

This all felt too good to be true, like some perfect dream from which Charles would never have to wake.

Erik lifted him into his arms and walked them to the couch to settle on the cushions with his tiny fiancée straddling his lap.

He gasped into slick red lips as Charles ground his round ass against Erik’s throbbing erection. Erik pressed back with a stifled moan of, “Please, please darling.” He’d waited so long to have Charles in his arms, he was sure this wouldn’t last long.

Charles was only too happy to oblige, sitting back on the taller mans knees with a sly smile. He made quick work of undoing their trousers and taking them both in hand. Erik pulled him into a deep kiss as those strong, clever hands worked them towards release.

Erik had been right, the buildup of the months and years of their longing for one another meant that their interlude on the couch was over in a matter of moments as they both painted his front with the slick proof of their pleasure.

They slowly settled into the afterglow, still kissing everywhere they could reach, reluctant to part even as the mess between then grew cool and tacky.

“Bed next time, definitely,” Charles laughed softly, voice husky from arousal. Erik felt his cock take an immediate interest in that tone.

“Yeah, I had a dream about that,” he murmured, nipping at Charles’ sensitive ears lustily.

“Oh? Tell me about it?” He whispered, blushing furiously.

Did his sweet Charles like dirty talk? Erik wondered, delighted. “I’d rather show you,” he growled, standing suddenly, forcing Charles to wrap his deceptively long legs around his narrow waist.

“Oh! Already?” he yelped sounding anything but upset at the prospect of round two.

Erik quirked an eyebrow at that, “no time like the present.” Charles couldn’t help but agree.

~~

Erik didn’t like him; he was handsome in a glossy, polished kind of way. Well educated and clearly moneyed. The strikingly handsome Aryan was exactly the type of man he’d always imagined Charles ending up with and he was honest enough with himself to admit that he hated the other man for that reason alone. 

Warren Worthington was a junior event planner at one of the premier firms in the city. He was only too happy to round out his portfolio with a small wedding carrying an extravagant budget. At least for the simple ceremony they had in mind.

“Ten thousand and it can only be used on the wedding?” he mused aloud, intrigued by the concept. He made a mental not to look up LaLove before his next appointment. They could come in handy for any number of clients he could think of right off the top of his head.

“Yes, but we do have some personal funds we can put in, about $2000 more, if pressed,” Charles said earnestly.

“I’m sure that won’t be necessary Mr. Xavier. I work within the budget I’m given,” he assured the handsome young man with a confident smile.

They’d booked the appointment just that morning and come in the same afternoon to tell him they wanted to wed within the next two to three weeks if possible. Warren smiled; anything was possible in this city with the right connections. And Warren had the right connections.

He leaned over the low coffee table in the lounge area of his office, “Let’s talk logistics. Number of guests, dietary restrictions, invitations, colors. You’ve paid for the hour, may as well use it.”

His charm and clear love of his job earned him a wide smile from the smaller man, while his hulking fiancée on the other hand looked alternately irritated and bored to tears. Well, Warren thought charitably, it takes all kinds.

He flipped his blackberry open and pulled up a blank template before focusing his attention on Charles, “Let’s begin.”

~~

“Great news Miss Edie,” Angel said early Saturday morning as she was helping the older woman dress after her bath.

“Oh, what is it dear?”

“In light of your good news, your son getting married to that handsome scientist and all, we’re going to postpone your last two treatments this cycle. That will give you a chance to build your strength up. You want to look your best at the wedding!” She chirped happily.

Edie stared at her in shock, “Postpone the treatments? But don’t I need them? Isn’t it important I get them as ordered?” She asked, concerned. Some part of her still held out hope that this round would heal her and she’d be free to pick up her life where she’d left off.

At her question, Angel’s smile slipped for a moment before returning full force. “Well, yes of course Miss Edie, but we care about you here, please trust us when we tell you you’ll be fine for the next couple of weeks without those treatments at the cancer center.” She said earnestly, even a bit nervously Edie noted.

“Who is we?” she asked curiously, closely watching the young woman’s reactions to her words. She glanced away and fidgeted Edie’s socks for a moment longer than necessary. “Oh me, Nurse Cassidy, and Dr. Grey of course,” she said blithely.

Of course, they were all staff at the care home and Edie trusted them implicitly, “Well if Dr. Grey has given her approval…” she agreed hesitantly.

“She has, I’ll have her come down and talk to you about it so you’ll feel more comfortable and can explain the decision to your family,” Angel said with a more genuine smile that nonetheless held a bit of strain.

Edie’s heart sank at that. Perhaps Dr. Grey had reviewed her file and seen that the treatments weren’t working. That nothing would. She would rather preserve the gentle fiction the staff was kindly attempting to create for her that they just wanted her well for a family wedding.

“There is no need to trouble Dr. Grey with this dear. I trust you, and this is good news. I’m sure my Erik will be so pleased to hear that I’ll be feeling better for his big day,” she smiled softly.

Angel grinned in relief, “Great! Now, let’s get you to the day room so you can catch the Lifetime Movie Event. _Terror at the Lodge_ ,” she changed her voice to a spooky approximation as she helped Edie shuffle slowly down the hall.

Kind as ever, but hiding something that had put shadows in her eyes, Sean had been just the same a few days before. Edie settled in to watch the film, but her mind was on the mystery in her personal life rather than the one on the screen.

~~

 “So you don’t have a treatment for the next two weeks?” Erik asked with a frown.

They were sitting in the living room of the boys’ apartment for her Sunday visit. Erik had carried her up just a few minutes before and she’d broken the news immediately after catching her breath. She wanted to get it out of the way first thing so they could spend the remainder of her visit on wedding planning.

She shook her head in the affirmative, “Not in the foreseeable future in fact,” she said lightly.

His scowl deepened, “And this is a good thing?”

“Yes, Dr. Grey says its fine. The reason I feel so weak is the treatments you know, so without them for a few weeks I’ll be feeling much improved.”

Erik still looked mutinous, “But the treatments are what’s curing you, without them what’s going on?” he demanded crossly.

“Darling of your mother wants to feel her best on our wedding day and the doctor says that it’s fine we should believe her,” Charles cut in with a knowing smile in Edie’s direction.

She returned it gratefully, happy to have his support. Erik’s demeanor visibly softened as Charles moved across the room to place a comforting hand on the back of his neck. They’d been noticeably more affectionate during this visit, Edie was pleased to note.

Erik gave a long suffering sigh, “I can’t win an argument against _both_ of you. Just know that I don’t like it.”

“Duly noted,” Charles soothed, planting a soft kiss in Erik’s forehead. “Now, Edie my friend Moira is the only other woman in the ceremony and she was wondering if you’d like to accompany her dress shopping…”

Erik tuned out their wedding talk, simply watching them interact as he turned over today’s revelation in his mind, it sat with him wrong, as did his mother’s delivery of the news. She seemed relieved almost…resigned to the fact that her treatments had been cancelled.

He swallowed hard against the telltale tightening of this throat at the thought that she’d given up hope of recovery. He turned the idea over in his mind. He’d known this was coming; perhaps he should take a page out of his mother’s book and begin the process of letting go.

~~

The wedding came together quickly and with an ease that made hiring Warren to take the reins seem like the best decision they’d ever made.

They sent out embellished E-invites the Tuesday after they were approved for the loan. They were to be wed in a little over two weeks on Saturday, April 10 in a small private ceremony in an elegant tea room on the upper east side. Due to the unfashionable hour, they were able to rent the room for a very reasonable rate.

Warren might be alright, Erik grudgingly admitted in the privacy of his own mind after receiving a text confirmation for the dress fitting appointment the event planner had set for his mother and Moira at a small independent boutique. The man had a knack for making their small, slap dash ceremony feel like the most important event on his calendar. A fact which Erik appreciated and he was sure Charles did as well.

He thought back to their conversation while filling out the loan applications that very first night, “this may be the only wedding I ever have. Better make the best of it,” Charles had said.

Back then, Erik could only wish that was the case. But he’d been fully prepared to lose Charles the minute he turned 25 and came into his inheritance. The $10,000 divorce fee would be nothing to him then, and Erik would be nothing but his former husband, former roommate, heartbroken friend. But now, as he watched the younger man get measured for alterations on an off the rack tuxedo, he realized that Charles had been right all those weeks ago, this would be his only wedding and they would certainly make the best of it.

Charles must have felt his eyes on him from the seating area where Erik was waiting, having gotten fitted first. Their eyes met in the three way mirror Charles was facing and he gave Erik a playful wink before turning his attention back to the tailor who was asking something just out of Erik’s earshot.

He smiled to himself, content to wait and watch, knowing that the handsome man across the room was all his.

~~

Edie was feeling so much better by the morning of the wedding that she was able to dress herself and even apply a bit of makeup. She’d stayed with Erik at the apartment while Charles had spent the night at his friend Moira’s to avoid the bad luck that would come from the grooms seeing one another before the day of the ceremony.

She and Erik had spent the night watching old movies and talking like they hadn’t in years. It was one of the best evenings she’d had since Jake had passed, and she made sure to let her sweet boy know what it meant to her.

They arrived early at the memorial park near the tea room for the photographer to take pictures of the wedding party and a few solo pictures of the couple.

The photographer was very crisp and professional, taking dozens of pictures from at least three angles before repositioning the group. Edie was reluctantly impressed. Hiring him had been the biggest expense in the budget, but she could see why he came so highly recommended.

It was nice to think of the boys having beautiful, professional pictures of the day for years to come. Pictures they would show their own family as it grew.  She suppressed swell of sorrow at the thought of never meeting her grandchildren.

She looked up to stop herself crying, chiding herself mentally for wanting more than she should. Just being here today standing, more or less under her own power was more than enough, and more than she’d hoped for even a few weeks before.

She rested in the shade watching the boys pose with their friends a few feet away. This was one of the best moments of her life she told herself firmly, shaking off the doldrums and committing the happy scene to memory.

**

An hour later, Charles stood at the front of the false aisle in the tea room, a court officer stood next to him, only too happy to perform the ceremony outside of the city offices. Soft strains of violins filled the air before Edie and Erik stepped into view arm in arm.

Everything faded away, his nerves, his racing heart, the swell of music filling the air, the soft click of camera shutters as each moment was committed to film for posterity.

Edie looked beautiful in her dove gray mother of the bride gown that perfectly matched her eyes- Erik’s eyes- as well as the ties and pocket kerchiefs both grooms were wearing.

Her head was wrapped in a small silk turban studded with seed pearls for a surprisingly elegant effect. Tears filled his eyes as they moved slowly down the aisle towards him. Edie leaned heavily on Erik’s arm unwilling to use a wheelchair or be carried today of all days. She truly was looking better since her treatments ceased, but Charles was all too aware that her appearance meant nothing in terms of her actual health under the circumstances.

The pair reached the head of the aisle and Edie placed a small kiss on Charles’ cheek with a whispered, “Take care of him for me,” he wrapped his arms around her in an impromptu embrace, “I will,” he assured her as he struggled to hold back his tears.

She stepped back and placed their hands together before Logan stepped forward from where he was sitting at the first table, to guide her to her seat.

Erik smiled his thanks and gave Charles’ hand a small squeeze of encouragement.

The officiate began to speak. Erik simply tuned him out and looked into his fiancée’s eyes for the last time with a heart-soft smile. Charles would soon be a Lehnsherr. He had been surprised to find how eager the other man was to change his name, though Erik supposed he would be eager to as well if his family life had consisted solely of abuse and neglect in equal measure.

They had chosen not to prepare their own vows, both of them being very private men and Erik seriously doubting that Charles could make it through his spoken vows without weeping.

He smiled to himself as he was proven right almost immediately when Charles was asked to repeat after the court officer. He discreetly slipped his husband to be a handkerchief he’d secreted away for just such an eventuality. He heard the shutters click nearby and was inordinately pleased to know that the moment had been caught for their wedding  album.

The rest of the ceremony passed in a swirl of loving words and happy emotions and before he knew it they were slipping rings onto each other’s fingers and turning to face their guest as Mr. and Mr. Erik and Charles Lehnsherr.

They received a round of applause for their trouble, and he noticed more than a few people dabbing their eyes at the sight.

He locked eyes with Charles and leaned in to kiss him under the soft lights of the tea room. Ready to begin his happy ever after.

~~

Edie felt her phone vibrate in her small clutch but ignored the sensation, everyone she knew was either at the wedding, or knew it was today. No one would call her unless it was a wrong number.

She turned to smile at her soft spoken table mate, Janos who had offered to sit this dance out with her since she had used up most of her strength during the photo shoot and ceremony. Her son had such sweet friends. Even that gruff Logan had a heart of gold.

Her phone vibrated again. Janos flicked his eyes to her purse, “You should check and see that everything is alright, it will worry you otherwise,” he said sagely.

She smiled at the good advice, “Well it couldn’t hurt to look.” She agreed.

“Would you like me to give you privacy?”

“No, no, I’m sure it’s nothing and I’m enjoying our chat.” She waved him back down to where he had half left his seat.

She took her phone out of her purse to find a message from Sean, “We got him for you Miss Edie! TMTT watch the clip!”

She frowned at the shorthand, “What is TMTT?” she asked Janos, turning the phone so he could see the context.

“Too much to text,” he said with raised eyebrows. They shared a confused look before Edie opened the next message in her inbox, also from Sean. It was a video clip from the morning news taken a few hours ago now.

They leaned over the phone together with the volume turned down low so they wouldn’t disturb the other guests, most of who were dancing to Charles’ favorite recording of Dream a Little Dream.

Edie gasped at what she saw. Dr. Shaw and Nurse Frost were being arrested at his practice. Both of them stayed silent in the face of the shouted questions thrown their way. Nurse Frost looked tightly furious while Dr. Shaw seemed to have aged twenty years since she saw him at her last appointment. Their picture grew smaller as the local news caster came into view and began to narrate, “ _Dr. Sebastian Shaw and Nurse Emma Frost, seen here being detained just this morning at Dr. Shaw’s private office have since been charged with medical mal-practice, patient neglect, intent to do harm, and several felony counts of unlawful administration of drugs. We are informed that more charges may be forthcoming_.” A picture of her primary care provider Dr. Essex appeared on the screen, next to the news caster with a phone number scrolling alongside. “ _Dr. Nathaniel Essex is also wanted for questioning in connection with these crimes, if anyone has any information as to his whereabouts they are encouraged to call the number on the screen.”_ She said with a serious mien.

“ _And what crimes are they alleged to have committed?”_ asked her earnest co-anchor.

 _“Sources within the medical community who wish to remain anonymous at this time, tell News Channel 6 that Drs. Shaw and Essex are accused of running an elaborate insurance scam wherein they would prescribe costly medical treatments that patients didn’t actually need. Dr. Shaw, being an oncologist, is accused of assigning extra treatments of chemotherapy to clients who no longer needed them. One such patient has been rumored to have received **five rounds** after his cancer went into remission_.”

“ _That’s terrible to hear, Megan.”_

 _“It truly is Jack, more at eleven._ ” The clip froze and ended a few seconds after.

Edie sat with one hand clutched to her mouth in horror, silent tears streaming down her face. Janos handed her a napkin and clutched her free hand tightly in his as she starred at the frozen image of Dr. Essex still displayed on the screen with the number to call underneath.

Erik and Charles must have noticed her upset, or perhaps Janos flagged them down as their song ended. Because they were soon knelt on either side of her with pinched concern painted on their faces.

“Mama, what is it? What’s wrong? Are you in pain?” Erik asked shakily, looking ready to call 911 if she nodded her head. She shook it vehemently, still weeping too hard to speak, she fluttered her hand at Janos, who spoke up to Erik’s seeming surprise.

“My friend, you should sit and watch this, there is something you need to see about the men I believe to have been treating your mother.” He said seriously, as Edie nodded her agreement, gasping for breath through her tears.

The newlyweds exchanged a concerned look and sat down to do just that.

Their faces changed as they watched the news clip from confusion to shock to outrage.

“What! Mama! For how long?!” Erik shouted

“ _These are your doctors?!”_ Charles yelled at the same time.

“I need to call the care home,” Erik snapped and strode from the room, taking her phone with him. Charles looked torn between following him and staying to make sure she was alright.

“Go after him, please,” she sniffled, “One of us has to be there to stop him from doing something foolish.” Charles gave a serious nod and ran after his husband.

Their exit had caused quite a commotion but Warren instructed the DJ to keep playing songs, and the servers to stay on schedule with food and drinks. He managed to keep the party on track and have Moira see to Edie’s comfort. He couldn’t do much for whatever upset the couple was dealing with, but he would always do his job.

Edie only realized as she sat in the ladies room with Moira helping to fix her makeup that she may actually be _cured_.

The thought was an anathema to her when she’d given up the dream of health and longevity so long ago. She held the hope close to her heart and prayed with all her might that it was true.

~~

Charles caught up with his husband in the gazebo where they’d taken their wedding photos, just ending what sounded like an impassioned phone call.

“So she’s cancer free? You’re sure? _For how long?_ When-” he was silent, listening intently to the person on the other end of the line. A deep furrow set into his brow.

“Thank you! _I cannot thank you enough!_ No. No. She’s fine. Are you _kidding!?_ This is the best wedding present we could ever receive!” he saw Charles approaching and reached out a hand for him, using the grasp to tug him in to sit on one knee, holding him in place with an arm around his waist.

“Thank you again, we’ll call again later. Thank you. Yes. Goodbye.” He hung up the phone and stared into space, drawing absent patterns on Charles’ thigh with his freshly ringed finger.

“Who was that?” he broke his concentration with the soft question.

Erik swallowed convulsively before answering. “Dr. Grey, she was expecting our call. She was the medical source the news mentioned. Her staff saved my mother’s life.”

“Dr. Shaw and that nurse were torturing her! Killing her!” he buried his face against Charles’ chest with a ragged breath. “I didn’t know! How could I not know something was wrong? They said it was early stages, one round probably stopped it!” he burst out with a sob, his voice muffled by his husbands’ chest.

Charles wrapped his arms around him tightly and held him through the storm of tears for an endless stretch of time until Erik was able to calm down. Knowing there was nothing he could say to ease his suffering.

“I guess we didn’t need to get married after all,” he sighed, passively letting Charles wipe his tears with the same kerchief he’d passed over during the ceremony.

“No, but I wanted too. Didn’t you?” Charles asked, uncertainty nipping at his heels. Doubt and self loathing rapidly filling his heart until Erik stopped it in its tracks.

“Yes, of course, darling, never question that,” Erik rushed to reassure him with a wan smile “But the reason for all this-” he gestured tiredly at their elegant attire.

“Is that we are in love and we both love your mother, who now it seems may be with us for a lot longer than we ever dreamed.” Charles reminded him gently, immediately soothed by his husbands assurance of love.

Erik gave a watery laugh. “Yeah, she’ll finally get to meet those grandkids she’s been after me for since I turned 20.”

“She’ll still have to wait a while,” Charles said skeptically, “We are _not_ raising kids in that tiny apartment!”

Erik gave a half smile at the look on his face “That’s okay; apparently we have time to work out the details,” Erik murmured, still stunned by the revelations of the past quarter hour.

Soon they would have to return to their party, their guests would be concerned after seeing them rush out the way they had.

They would tell Edie the good news. That the chemo had worked and she was in remission, that the men who’d hurt her would pay.

Then they would dance the day away with their friends and loved ones. Celebrating the start of their lives together and the continuation of Edie’s where they’d long thought there would be only suffering and slow death.

But this moment, basking in the sunshine and the fresh spring air, young and never more in love, was all for them.

Charles met his eyes with a grin, as though he’d heard his inner most thoughts and heartily approved, “I love you,” he said softly.

“I love you too, darling,” Erik smiled back and planted a tender kiss on his husbands smiling, red mouth before pulling Charles to stand in his place by his side where he stayed for the rest of their lives.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's all she wrote! Thank you so much for all the support! I cherish each of your comments and kudos like jewels!!

**Author's Note:**

> Un beta'ed please tell me if you notice any typos! Comments are love XOXO!


End file.
